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Three friends of the late Nolan Wells are suing retired NFL star Terrell Owens on a claim of defamation.
A federal lawsuit filed this week alleges that Owens, 52, defamed the three friends, Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour, according to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE.
The fathers of the three friends, who are under 21 and considered minors under Mississippi law, have filed the lawsuit on their behalf.
Owens ᴀsserted in an X post last month that the three friends were involved in the death of the 18-year-old college student who vanished from Mississippi’s Horn Island during a Fourth of July celebration. Wells was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ two days later. The friends have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
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“ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!!” Owens wrote on Sept. 26 to his 1.2 million followers, while linking to an Instagram video, which implied without evidence that the friends killed Wells and tampered with his phone.
The post appeared days after a Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend charges related to Wells’ death.
In a joint statement to PEOPLE, Edward Paltzik and Tyler Cox, attorneys for the friends, contended: “As our powerhouse federal defamation lawsuit against former NFL star wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Terrell Owens proves beyond any doubt, no amount of fame, money, or scare tactics will deter us from our mission of fighting for accountability, justice, and truth on behalf of completely innocent young men Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour, who so deeply loved and cared about their dear friend Nolan Wells.”
Weeks after Wells’ death, Owens made a $25,000 donation to a fund for information leading to an arrest and conviction in connection to Wells’ death.
The grand jury did not find evidence of an altercation or involvement by Wells’ friends with him at the July 4 party; the jurors’ report said the friends had been maliciously attacked.
The Hall of Famer’s contribution was noted alongside those of the Rev. Al Sharpton and filmmaker Tyler Perry, who each donated $50,000.
According to the ᴀssociated Press, the three friends previously indicated intent to sue Sharpton — as well as The View co-host Sunny Hostin — for comments they made discussing Wells’ death.
This week, the friends also filed defamation lawsuits against a several content creators, per the AP.